A federal judge said Friday that Congress named the Kennedy Center and only Congress can change it.
WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and prevented the government from closing the cultural arts venue for major renovations.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees’ March 16 vote to close the facility was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” and completely failed to take into account its legal obligations.
“The trustees might evaluate the appropriateness of closure in a number of prudent ways. But that is not the case,” he wrote.
Cooper also concluded that the committee “overstepped legal boundaries” by unilaterally adding Trump’s name to the center. Congress gave the Kennedy Center the name, and only Congress can change it, he said.
Additionally, the judge ordered that Trump’s name be removed from the building and grounds within two weeks and that the performance center’s website be updated to remove content about Trump. Trump must also remove any trademarks for “Trump Kennedy Center,” “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” or any similar name.
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president for public relations, said Friday that the institution is “confident that on appeal the court will uphold the committee’s desire to recognize President Trump’s historic contributions to our nation’s cultural center.” She said she would review the decision “carefully.”
“While the reality remains — the center is in need of urgent and significant repairs — a fact even the plaintiffs acknowledge,” Dharavi said. “With President Trump securing $257 million and Congressional approval, and resources already in place, we remain committed to pursuing all legal avenues to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark that all Americans can enjoy.”
Cooper held a hearing in late April on a parallel lawsuit against the project. One was submitted by a group of cultural and historic preservation groups. The other is Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who serves as an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. He ruled in favor of Beatty’s request but rejected other challenges.
Lawyers for the Ministry of Justice said the building’s planned renovations were limited in scope and fell entirely within the council’s powers, without external approval.
The plaintiffs fear the president and his allies on the board will ignore preservation rules designed to preserve the building’s historic fabric. In statements earlier in the court hearing, attorneys for the Beatties and preservation groups questioned the limited scope of the project, pointing to Trump’s claim that he would “completely expose” the building’s steel skeleton. Beatty said she’s “very concerned about what we’re going to see happen to the East Wing and the Rose Garden” if the center closes and renovations proceed without oversight, referring to the major changes the president has made at the White House.
Trump, a Republican, has taken a keen interest in the operations of the Kennedy Center since returning to the White House last year. He established a handpicked board of directors and appointed him chairman. His name is inscribed on the facade of a building considered a living monument to President John F. Kennedy.
The Kennedy Center had kept up shows before it closed, albeit at a much slower pace than in previous years. Trump attended the premiere of the musical “Chicago” in March, and other shows including “Moulin Rouge” are scheduled for June.
Comedian Bill Maher, who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Trump, is expected to receive the Mark Twain Award for American Humor on June 28, an event expected to be one of the last big moments before the Kennedy Center closes.
Cooper was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama.
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